Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 17 June 2025, the city of Karamay (Xinjiang, China) hosted the fourth meeting of the heads of agencies responsible for information and communication technology development in the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

During the meeting, participants adopted the Action Plan for the Digital Transformation of SCO Member States (hereinafter referred to as “the Plan”), aimed at deepening practical cooperation in the field of digital transformation.

According to China News Service, digital transformation was recognized as a key driver of global economic growth and comprehensive social progress. The participants agreed to enhance collaboration in areas such as digital infrastructure development, digital public infrastructure (DPI), e-government, smart cities, industrial digitalization, and the digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises. These efforts aim to narrow the digital divide and boost digital competitiveness across the SCO region.

The Plan outlines that member states will intensify cooperation in advanced technologies, including environmentally sustainable solutions. Key areas of focus include next-generation ICT, backbone networks, data centers, and digital public infrastructure. The goal is to develop, deploy, and effectively utilize comprehensive, inclusive, and sustainable digital infrastructure that supports the region’s overall digitalization and lays a solid foundation for future transformation.

In the realm of e-government, member states plan to actively apply digital tools such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and smart city technologies. Particular emphasis will be placed on strengthening cross-border interoperability of electronic signatures and sharing expertise in the development of application systems, platform construction, and data management.

The sides emphasized the pivotal role of artificial intelligence as a transformative technology shaping future scientific revolutions and industrial transitions. A shared commitment was expressed to foster cooperation on AI development, including standardization, industrial deployment, real-world implementation, and regulatory frameworks, in order to promote balanced and responsible AI growth.

Xiong Jizhun, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China, noted that China is actively responding to trends in digitalization, connectivity, and intelligent technologies. He emphasized China’s readiness to work with SCO partners to enhance coordination mechanisms, strengthen policy dialogue, and advance practical cooperation in digital and ICT domains. Such collaboration, he stated, would help accelerate industrial transformation and ensure that all member states benefit from the dividends of digital progress.

Participants unanimously supported the renaming of the forum from the “Meeting of Heads of ICT Development Agencies of SCO Member States” to the “Meeting of Ministers for Digital and ICT of SCO Member States.” It was also confirmed that the next session will be held in Kyrgyzstan.